Universal joint



(UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM K. MI-LLEB, OF CANTON, OHIO.

UN'IVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,415, dated June 12, 1883,

' Application filed May 4, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that .I, WVILLIAM K. MILLER, f Canton, county of Stark, and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Universal Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to a novel construction of universal joint, whereby greater strength of parts and enlarged wearing-surfaces are obtained; and it consists in providing the forks of the joint with sockets for the reception and retention of an enlargedswiveling block or cross-head co meeting the two forks, in making the sockets in the forks for the reception ofthe swiveling cross-head open upon one side, and in flattening the pivotal ends of said crosshead in such manner that when said crosshead is turned to a position at about right angles to its normal or working position it can readily be withdrawn from the sockets in the forks, and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described.v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is side elevation of a joint embracing my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a section through the same 011 the line m m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section through one of the forks of the joint, showing the swivel pin or block in dotted lines turned into position to be inserted or withdrawn from the fork; and Fig. 4 is a perspec tive view of the crosshead swix el-pieee detached.

A represents a socket-piece on which one of the forks is formed, and B a similar socket piece and fork. The forks, the arms of one of which are indicated by a. a and of the other by I) I), may be formed upon or applied directly to the adjoining ends of the two parts of the shaft, to be coupled together in any usual or preferred manner; but for the purpose of illustrating the invention it is preferred to show them formed on the pieces A and B, each provided with a squared, polygonal, or feathcred longitudinal socket, adapting it to receive the correspondingly-formed end of the shaft, to which it is to be applied and to be rotated by, or to rotate its portion of the tumbling-shaft,

as the case may be. The socket-piece A is shown elongated to provide for relative longitudinal movement of its portion of the shaft where required. The part B may be keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft, and the part A may be secured in like manner where it is not desired to make the shaft extensible. The arms a a and b I) of the forks are made thicker at their ends, and have cylindrical sockets (6 formed in their inner faces for the reception of the ends of the swivel-block or cross-head O. The wall of these sockets at the ends of the ears are cut away, and theends of the arms 0 and 'c of the cross-head are flattened at 0*, on the sides, at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the shaft, to correspond to the width of the opening in the outer side of the wall of the socket a in such manner that when the swiveling block is turned to a position at about right angles to its normal or operative posi- 7 tion the swivel pin or ends can be withdrawn from or inserted in the sockets in the fork. The two portions or pivots c and c of the crosshead 0 are perforated longitudinally, and when in place are secured by bolts (1 and 11 passing through them and through the arm or ears of the forks. The nuts (i which secure the bolts in place, are rose-faced, or provided with radial grooves or corrugations on their outer faces, and the end of the bolt is perforated to receive a bifurcated spring-pin, e, which passes through grooves in the face of the nut and prevents the latter from becoming accidentally loosened or displaced. The diameter of the arms or ends of thecross-head or swivel-block '0, except upon their flattened sides, corre- Sponds to that of the sockets a), adapting them to fit snugly without interfering with their rolling freely and easily-in said-sockets. By this construction the wear is thrown upon the outer surface of the cylindrical arms of the swivelpiece and upon the walls of the cylindrical sockets therefor, instead of upon the through bolt and the walls of the perforations in the arms of the fork, as in the ordinary construe tion, and as a consequence a much larger wearing-surface is secured, which gives grcatly-increased durability to the joint.

The ends of the arms or forks, instead of 1 being made thicker and recessed to form the 100 sockets, as described, may have circular flanges, formed on their inner faces, cutaway on their. outer sides; or such sockets may be formed partly by recessing and partly by the circular flange, as shown, either construction serving to stiffen and strengthen and to give increased durability to the joint.

The bolts (1 and (1 may be dispensed with; but they effectually prevent accidental displacement or uncoupling of the parts, as the openings in the fork-sockets and the flattened sides of the pivotal arms of the cross-head are by preference so arranged that neither pivot can be withdrawn until both of the throughbolts have been removed.

I do not wish to be restricted to the exact form and construction of the parts as shown and described, as it will be apparent that these may be varied without departing from my invention.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. 1. The arms or forks of a universaloint coupling provided on their inner faces with cylindri cal. or 11 early-cylindri cal sockets for the reception of the pivotal arms of the swivelpiece or cross-head.

2. The arms or forks of a universal joint provided with sockets open on one side, in combination with the pivotal arms of the swivelpiece or cross-head provided with the flattened sides at its ends resting in said sockets, substantially as described.

3. The cross head or double pivot-block having the ends of its pivots flattened in planes at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the shaft with which it is connected, in combinati on with the forks on said shaft, provided with sockets open on one side for permitting the insertion and removal of said pivots, substantially as described.

4.. The combination, in a'universal-joint or tumbling-shaft coupling, of the socketed and perforated forks, the louble pivot-block or cross-head having the hollow cylindrical pivots provided with flattened pivotal ends, and

the througlrbolts, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VILLTAM K. MILLER.

Vitnesscs:

A. D. ESHELMAN, \V. J. Honnrnorr. 

